Survivor
by CreativelyNumb
Summary: A different take on the episode where Sara is trapped under the car by the miniature killer. Cath/Sara instead of GSR.


-1**Survivor**

**A Cath/Sara Fan Fiction**

**By Mandi Powers**

Two weeks ago exactly, they had confessed their love for each other. They hadn't even had time to tell anyone yet. They had planned to sit down with Grissom and tell him everything. Tell him how they are in love and how sorry Sara is that she led him on. _Now thanks to some psycho bitch we might never get that chance._ Catherine thought to herself. She had tried to keep her composure as much as she possibly could when she saw that miniature. Inside, she was screaming. How could someone do this to Sara? Her Sara. Now she was driving around talking to people trying to find out where the hell she was. "Cath, are you ok?" Greg asked noticing the stoic look on her face as well as the tear threatening to fall. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about Sara that's all." Worried was an understatement. All she kept thinking was how her girl was out there somewhere, scared, alone and with a murderer. Then she had another thought that at least gave her a glimmer of hope. _My girl is a fighter. She's strong. She'll make it through._ "Look Cath, I'm not gonna say anything to anybody, but are you and Sara like, a thing? 'cause I see the way you guys look at each other lately and it's…different." "Yes Greg, we are ok? But you absolutely cannot say anything to anyone. Especially Grissom, got it?" "Yeah. Grissom. I totally forgot about him and Sara." Catherine shot daggers at Greg. "Sorry, Cath." He looked down at the floor and said nothing.

All night they searched for Sara. Grissom was a mess. It killed Catherine to see him like that, especially knowing the truth about his "relationship" with Sara. Catherine spent the next day with Grissom searching the desert. _That fucking model couldn't have held some kind of clue? A different type of sand specific to one region or something. No it has to be the one thing vegas has to much of. Fucking desert. _Catherine thought. She could feel the panic rising in her. Every minute that ticked by meant danger for Sara. If she made it through the night with the storm. Then they got the call. The car had been spotted.

Grissom and Catherine were there in minutes. Grissom ran up and began digging, Catherine right behind, her heart pounding in her chest. "She's not here." Grissom said turning to Catherine. "She must have got out and started walking." He added. "Well then let's see if we can find prints or something. Let's go!" Catherine said setting off looking for footprints. There was another body they found and Catherine almost fainted at the thought of it being Sara's. When it was determined that it was someone else she could feel the relief wash over her like a tidal wave. She couldn't take losing another person she cared about. Most recently her father Sam Braun, and a few years before, her ex husband Eddie. Not that she still cared about him. She was more concerned for her daughter Lindsey. She could feel herself starting to lose hope when she saw it. A pile of stones in a set formation a little ways off from the end of the footprints. "That's my girl!" She called out before she had time to think about it. Grissom gave her an odd look but decided she must have meant "our" girl, like part of the team.

Meanwhile as Catherine was following her girlfriend's trail, Sara was wandering through the desert trying to find a road. Her survival instincts had taught her to keep the rear view mirror from the car so every so often she could use it to reflect sunlight as a signal. As she walked she thought about Catherine. _I've gotta survive this. If not just for me, for her. _Thinking of the strawberry blonde helped her to keep focused so she wouldn't begin hallucinating from the heat. _I wonder how she's doing…She must be going absolutely nuts. God I hope I make it through this…_She thought as she fell to the ground and passed out from dehydration.

Catherine had never ran so fast in her life. Nick had paged to say he found her. She was just praying that she was alive. Catherine practically threw herself beside Sara's body when she got close and checked the pulse. "She's still alive!" She yelled. The emergency personnel had just arrived via helicopter and ran over to load her onto a stretcher. "I'm going with her!" Grissom yelled over the helicopter noise. Catherine knew full well only one person was allowed in that 'copter and it sure as shit wasn't gonna be Grissom. "I don't think so Gris, I'm going!" before he could argue she ran after the EMT's and jumped into the 'copter. Grissom's face was one of hurt and misunderstanding, and deep down Catherine did feel kind of bad considering he was still in the dark about her and Sara's relationship, but she just couldn't allow him to take her rightful spot. She held Sara's hand tightly. "You're so strong Sara. Keep fighting baby. I love you." She whispered as she kissed her lips. They were so dry it was like every bit of moisture had been sucked out of them. Catherine reached into her pocket and pulled out a lip balm and gently applied it to Sara's lips. She felt a squeeze on her hand and realized that Sara had regained consciousness. "Hey, baby. I was so worried about you!" She kissed Sara's forehead trying not to let the brunette see her tears. Too exhausted to speak Sara just gave her a reassuring hand squeeze.

Later on at the hospital, Catherine refused to leave Sara's bedside. Determined to be there when her baby needed or wanted anything. "Uh, Catherine. Can I talk to you?" She looked up at the figure in the doorway. It was Grissom. "Yeah, sure." She looked back at Sara who was asleep and then followed Grissom out of the room. "What did you wanna talk to me about Gris?" "What is going on here?" He sounded angry. "What do you mean?" Catherine asked even though she was pretty sure she knew where this was going. "I think you know Catherine. Why wouldn't you let me go in the Helicopter with Sara? I didn't think you two were close. Or is this a jealously thing?" Catherine began to think maybe she didn't know where this was going anymore. "Jealous? Of?" She said wondering what the hell he was talking about. "Jealous of my being with Sara. Just because you are my right hand and yeah, we exchanged some flirtatious gestures doesn't mean…" Catherine cut him off. "Oh my god. You think I am jealous of Sara?" Now she sounded angry. More than anything she wanted to tell him the truth but he was still her friend and she didn't want to hurt him like that. Plus she felt it should come from Sara. "Well, if not then what is it?" "Look Grissom I can't get into it ok? What I will say is that Sara and I have become a lot closer in the past little while. And it was important for me to be there when she woke up in that 'copter." Grissom's facial expression changed completely. _Oh shit, he knows._ Catherine thought realizing that the look he now had was one of pain. "I should have known…you and Sara. You're not jealous of me. I should be jealous of you." And he turned to walk away. "Grissom! Wait!" She called after him. He turned around but didn't come back towards her. "If you're wondering how I knew, it was in your eyes when you talked about her. They give you away." And he walked away. Catherine stood, stunned for a moment before returning to her lovers bedside.

"Where'd you go? I woke up and you weren't here." Sara said feigning a pout as Catherine resumed sitting beside her. "Grissom came to talk to me." Catherine said looking at the floor. She felt guilty. She knew Sara had really wanted the opportunity to tell him herself. "And?" Sara said waiting for Catherine to elaborate. She told Sara all about their conversation in the hallway. "I'm sorry Sara." She finished. "I know how badly you wanted to tell him." Sara reached up and stroked her girlfriends face. "I could never be mad at you Cath. Don't worry about it. It's not like I planned to get abducted and almost die in the desert you know." She said smiling. "Besides now I don't have to tell him and we don't have to be all secretive anymore." Catherine kissed her. "I'm glad. I hated sneaking around. I want the whole world to know I'm in love with Sara Sidle!" "And, I want the whole world to know that I am in love with Catherine Willows!" Sara replied. "I think I'm gonna have to come stay with you for a bit when I get outta here. Get you to take care of me since I have a bum arm now." She added winking. "I'll take care of you alright. I might be able to take advantage of the fact you can't use your arm. It'll save me a pair of handcuffs." Catherine said in a barely audible whisper right into her lover's ear. "Mmmm, Cath, now I wanna leave right this second." Sara said before catching Catherine in a very passionate kiss.

"Hemm Hemm." Nick cleared his throat as he and the rest of the team walked into Sara's hospital room and right into the scene of Sara and Catherine making out. "Hi guys!" They both said with huge grins.

There was a series of nervous awkward hello's as the guys were stunned and at a loss for words. Just then a nurse walked into the room. "Ms. Sidle, we're going to be releasing you now. Do you have a way home?" "Yeah, I'm gonna be staying at my girlfriend's house. Catherine is going to drive me." She grinned at the look on the guys faces. It was a look of pure shock. It was like Sara had suddenly sprouted another arm. Even Greg played along. Sara signed the release papers as the guys all wished her well before leaving the women alone again. "Ready to head home?" Catherine asked with a knowing grin. "More than you know."

THE END


End file.
